San Diego's vacancy tax points to a much bigger California problem A lot of California's problems are made worse when homes and storefronts become investments rather than places where people live, work, shop, and gather. San Diego's Measure A is a vacancy tax aimed at one very expensive form of killing communities for personal gain. San Diego  residents will vote on Measure A next week, a controversial tax that would charge homeowners if their properties are vacant for more than 182 days a year. If passed, it would go into effect in 2027 and charge up to $8,000 the first year and $10,000 the next, with additional fees for commercial property owners. All the revenue would go into the city's general fund.  It could amount to  5,140 homes  that qualify for the tax, the measure says, resulting in about $24 million generated each year.  SF Gate I will be watching this one because vacancy taxes are one of those ideas California should take more seriously.…